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zombie_giraffe's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.75
"Democracy is a shared enterprise. Its fate depends on all of us"
This might well be the most important book for the western world that has been written in this century so far. Daniel Ziblatt and Steven Levitsky analyse why some democracies in the 30s, 60s and 70s have failed while others have prevailed. By comparing US politics to examples from Europe and Latin America they show how democracy is the United States is in peril, but also how it might be saved.
Clearly written as a reaction of the election of Donald Trump as US president, the book focuses a lot on US politics and its history. It gives a great overview of challenges the American democracy has faced in the past and how the path has been paved for Trump to win in 2016. First published in 2018, the book does not touch on the pandemic or the second half of Trump's term in any way, but the authors' lesson still hold true. While in the first chapters lots of examples are given from all around the world, I would have loved to hear more about other countries in the final chapters. Levitsky and Ziblatt have suggestions on how democracy can be saved in the US but give little advice to citizens of other countries with failing democracies. I would be very interested to read their take on how to restabilize democracy in European countries. Most things can be extrapolated and if every politician who is in office now or aspiring to be read this book, the future might look brighter.
This might well be the most important book for the western world that has been written in this century so far. Daniel Ziblatt and Steven Levitsky analyse why some democracies in the 30s, 60s and 70s have failed while others have prevailed. By comparing US politics to examples from Europe and Latin America they show how democracy is the United States is in peril, but also how it might be saved.
Clearly written as a reaction of the election of Donald Trump as US president, the book focuses a lot on US politics and its history. It gives a great overview of challenges the American democracy has faced in the past and how the path has been paved for Trump to win in 2016. First published in 2018, the book does not touch on the pandemic or the second half of Trump's term in any way, but the authors' lesson still hold true. While in the first chapters lots of examples are given from all around the world, I would have loved to hear more about other countries in the final chapters. Levitsky and Ziblatt have suggestions on how democracy can be saved in the US but give little advice to citizens of other countries with failing democracies. I would be very interested to read their take on how to restabilize democracy in European countries. Most things can be extrapolated and if every politician who is in office now or aspiring to be read this book, the future might look brighter.
Content Warnings
Minor: Racial slurs
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